Acastus

• Son of Pelias, king of Thessaly, husband of Astydamia or Cretheis, and father of Laodamia, Ov. M. 8, 306; 11, 410 al.—
• II The name of one of Cicero's slaves, Cic. Att. 7, 1 al.

(Ἄκαστος), a son of Pelias, king of Iolcus, and of Anaxibia, or as others call her, Philomache. He was one of the Argonauts (Apollod. 1.9.10; Apollon. 1.224, &c.), and also took part in the Calydonian hunt. (Ov. Met. 8.305,&c.) After the return of the Argonauts his sisters were seduced by Medeia to cut their father in pieces and boil them; and Acastus, when he heard this, buried his father, drove Iason and Medeia, and according to Pausanias (7.11) his sisters also, from Iolcus, and instituted funeral games in honour of his father. (Hyg. Fab. 24 and 273; Apollod. 1.9.27, &c.; Paus. 3.18.9, 6.20.9, 5.17.4; Ov. Met. 11.409, &c.) During these games it happened that Astydamia, the wife of Acastus, who is also called Hippolyte, fell in love with Peleus. whom Acastus had purified from the murder of Eurytion. When Peleus refused to listen to her addresses, she accused him to her husband of having attempted to dishonour her. (Apollod. 3.13.2, &c.; Pind. N. 4.90, &c.) Acastus, however, did not take immediate revenge for the alleged crime, but after he and Peleus had been chasing on mount Pelion, and the latter had fallen asleep, Acastus took his sword from him, and left him alone and exposed, so that Peleus was nearly destroyed by the Centaurs. But he was saved by Cheiron or Hermes, returned to Acastus, and killed him together with his wife. (Apollod. l.c.; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 1.224.) The death of Acastus is not mentioned by Apollodorus, but according to him Peleus in conjunction with Iason and the Dioscuri merely conquer and destroy Iolcus. (Apollod. 3.13.7.) [L.S]

(Ἄκαστος). The son of Pelias, king of Iolcos, who joined the Argonautic expedition, though against his father's will, as a friend of Iason. At his father's death he celebrated funeral games which were the theme of ancient poets and artists, and in which Peleus was represented as participating. He took part in the Calydonian boar-hunt. But his wife Astydamia fell in love with Peleus (q.v.), and this brought ruin on the wedded pair. His daughter was Laodamia, renowned for her tender love of Protesilaüs (q.v.).

• Apollod. 1.9.9
• in the Argo: Apollod. 1.9.17
• buries his father: Apollod. 1.9.26
• holds games in memory of his father: Paus. 3.18.16, Paus. 6.20.19
• at funeral games of Pelias: Paus. 5.17.10
• expels Jason and Medea from Iolcus: Apollod. 1.9.27
• purifies Peleus: Apollod. 3.13.1
• takes Peleus to hunt, deserts him, and hides his sword: Apollod. 3.13.3
• father of Sthenele: Apollod. 3.13.8
• the sons of, expel Peleus from Phthia: Apollod. E.6.11
• painted by Micon: Paus. 1.18.1